y both area and population, Texas is the second largest state in the United States. The Lone Star State has the second most electoral votes in the country. There are three cities in Texas with a population above one million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. Two more cities, Austin and Fort Worth, are pushing the million-person mark.

Since 2002, Texas has led the U.S. in export revenue and has had the second highest gross-state product. Were it a country, Texas would have the 10th largest economy in the world.

While everything in Texas seems to be super-sized, one can still appreciate the smaller, finer things in the state.

That is especially true when it comes to small businesses in the Lone Star State. Bigger isn't always better, and small businesses in Texas can attest to that motto. Every American can appreciate a small business that puts a little extra tender, lovin' care into their products, as opposed to Walmart goods that are made on a conveyor belt.

Despite all of its grandiosity, Texas is still home to many towns and cities that offer some of the best small businesses around. LendEDU has recognized the 100 towns and cities in the Lone Star State that have become the very best for starting small business.

Using licensed data, we analyzed over 1,000 Texas communities based on their conduciveness to small businesses. The following three parameters were used to judge each town and city:

opulation Score (20%, listed in table as Pop.)

Income Score (40%, listed in table as Income)

Expenses Score (40%, listed in table as Expenses)

Each parameter featured a few sub-metrics that were used to calculate the total score for each parameter. Afterwords, every Texas community's three parameter scores were summed together to get the final score. The entire process is explained further in the methodology at the bottom of this page.

Below, you will be able to see the 100 towns and cities in Texas that LendEDU has recognized as the very best for starting a small business.

Complete Rankings & Interactive Map of the Best 100 Towns in Texas for Small Businesses

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RankCityCountyPop.IncomeExpensesTotal Score

1PerrytonOchiltree13.9327.6629.6671.25

2BoerneKendall12.9235.7420.1468.80

3La VerniaWilson9.3926.2430.3966.02

4HallsvilleHarrison9.9928.2827.5765.84

5PleasantonAtascosa12.9223.6228.4665.00

6Carrizo SpringsDimmit14.5422.2027.6664.40

7ZapataZapata13.7319.9829.1862.89

8CanyonRandall11.2020.3831.2862.86

9RoanokeDenton15.5419.7827.4962.81

10LumbertonHardin8.0722.8031.6162.48

11WallerWaller13.9331.0817.3962.40

12AndrewsAndrews10.1932.5019.4162.10

13LevellandHockley13.7222.8025.3161.83

14SeminoleGaines11.6028.6621.2661.52

15DecaturWise13.8326.0421.3561.22

16KountzeHardin6.9621.0032.8260.78

17FloresvilleWilson8.8824.4227.2560.55

18GrapevineTarrant15.0518.1627.3360.54

19CarthagePanola10.4024.4425.3960.23

20CastrovilleMedina12.9227.2618.6858.86

21KenedyKarnes13.1219.3826.2758.77

22WoodwayMcLennan16.3515.5425.0756.96

23AledoParker15.2424.8216.8256.88

24WeatherfordParker14.1326.8415.8656.83

25KempnerLampasas6.9622.2027.4956.65

26MonahansWard9.0824.0223.2956.39

27SchertzBexar17.5720.3817.8755.82

28MidlandMidland13.4234.128.1855.72

29ArgyleDenton10.5921.8023.2055.59

30BulverdeComal7.5722.4025.2355.20

31SnyderScurry12.7223.8218.0454.58

32AdkinsBexar5.5520.8028.2154.56

33La GrangeFayette7.6716.9629.5954.22

34RockwallRockwall12.9218.3822.8254.12

35JustinDenton10.2917.3626.2753.92

36FredericksburgGillespie7.7719.3826.6953.84

37JasperJasper8.3816.1429.2753.79

38PecosReeves7.8625.0220.7853.66

39MagnoliaMontgomery11.0026.4416.1053.54

40Colorado CityMitchell6.6521.5825.0653.29

41MontgomeryMontgomery10.9026.8415.5453.28

42CaldwellBurleson5.4424.8422.6552.93

43PampaGray9.8920.2022.8052.89

44RichmondFort Bend10.6019.5622.4052.56

45RhomeWise8.8820.8022.5752.25

46BowieMontague7.3621.4023.3752.13

47BridgeportWise10.0921.3820.5452.01

48KrumDenton8.0716.7626.5251.35

49DevineMedina6.7618.5625.8051.12

50OdessaEctor10.6026.8413.5951.03

51Sugar LandFort Bend9.8921.6019.5050.99

52SangerDenton6.9615.5228.4650.94

53ColleyvilleTarrant7.9721.0021.9150.88

54CueroDeWitt7.6721.8021.3550.82

55BreckenridgeStephens8.2719.9822.5650.81

56WolfforthLubbock15.2523.2012.3050.75

57Rio Grande CityStarr11.5116.7622.2450.51

58New BraunfelsGuadalupe14.4421.6014.0050.04

59RomaStarr7.5716.1626.2750.00

60PoteetAtascosa8.2815.9425.1549.37

61FriendswoodGalveston8.6821.2019.4949.37

62La PorteHarris11.0016.5421.5949.13

63GiddingsLee11.8116.7420.5549.10

64Fort StocktonPecos7.8720.7820.3849.03

65League CityGalveston9.9924.8413.5148.34

66InglesideSan Patricio9.9921.6016.6648.25

67LongviewGregg15.0419.3813.5948.01

68KingslandLlano3.7212.5031.7047.92

69BanderaBandera8.6818.1620.8647.70

70PortlandSan Patricio7.6622.0018.0447.70

71JoshuaJohnson6.1517.1623.8547.16

72Dripping SpringsHays10.4922.8013.3546.64

73HallettsvilleLavaca3.239.0834.1946.50

74WimberleyHays9.6919.7816.8246.29

75Pipe CreekBandera0.6021.4024.1046.10

76HockleyHarris9.8922.8213.3546.06

77VenusJohnson7.6714.3224.0246.01

78College StationBrazos18.0712.3015.6145.98

79WaxahachieEllis15.4414.9415.2245.60

80The ColonyDenton9.8920.3815.2945.56

81GranburyHood7.4620.3817.6345.47

82ChandlerHenderson5.547.2632.5845.38

83StephenvilleErath14.0310.6820.6245.33

84HondoMedina9.7819.5615.9445.28

85PorterMontgomery10.9015.7418.4545.09

86BunaJasper9.088.6627.3245.06

87New CaneyMontgomery8.289.8826.6744.83

88BeltonBell14.9315.9413.8444.71

89ConroeMontgomery12.8216.3415.2144.37

90SilsbeeHardin4.8415.1224.3444.30

91BurnetBurnet11.1010.2822.8844.26

92GrahamYoung7.0620.3816.2643.70

93GonzalesGonzales7.0611.1025.2343.39

94LampasasLampasas10.909.8822.4843.26

95OvertonRusk5.3516.9420.7843.07

96CleburneJohnson9.7914.7418.5343.06

97DumasMoore4.3310.0827.4941.90

98AlvaradoJohnson5.9513.9221.9241.79

99AzleParker7.3615.7418.1341.23

100EdnaJackson5.7514.3219.8239.89

Showing 1 to 100 of 100 entries

Methodology

All data that was used in this report was licensed by LendEDU from Onboard Informatics. Onboard Informatics' dataset includes many stand alone statistics that were used for this report, including population figures, tax data, and income projection figures. In total, over 1,000 Texas towns and cities were evaluated for this study. An arbitrary population cutoff was established at 7,500, and any community with a population below that number was eliminated from further analysis.

The following three parameters and their respective sub-metrics were used to evaluate each and every Texas town and city based on their conduciveness towards small businesses.

1. Population Score (Weight - 20%, Maximum Point Total - 20 points)

Daytime Population Score - The difference in the normal population and the population that is present during standard working day hours (Weight - 10%, Maximum Point Total - 10 points)

Population Growth Score - Forecasted population growth over the next five years (Weight - 10%, Maximum Point Total - 10 points)

2. Income Score (Weight - 40%, Maximum Point Total - 40 points)

Disposable Income Score - The average disposable income available to residents (Weight - 20%, Maximum Point Total - 20 points) (note: this helps reduce the need for small busin﻿﻿ess loans)

Income Growth Score - Forecasted income growth over the next five years (Weight - 20%, Maximum Point Total - 20 points)

Burglary Score - Rate of burglaries compared to the national average (Weight- 8%, Maximum Point Total - 8 points)

Property Crime Score - Rate of property crimes compared to the national average (Weight - 8%, Maximum Point Total - 8 points)

Each town and city's respective sub-metric score for a specific sub-category was ranked against all the other respective town's sub-metric scores in the same sub-category on a percent scale from 0 to 100. This was done for each sub-metric. Later, each individual percent rank was multiplied by its weight to produce the point total. All of a given community's sub-metric scores in a specific parameter were added together to get the total parameter score. All three total parameter scores were then summed together to get the final score. Towns and cities in Texas with a greater final score were ranked higher on the list and vice-versa.

Through the cooperative efforts of the Seminole Independent School District, the Seminole Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), and Odessa College, the new year will bring a newer and more advanced welding program to the Seminole High School and the SISD Adult Education program.

The program part of a larger effort that is intended to help students who may be considering options other than a post-secondary education, who may choose to enter the workforce after high school. The curriculum will also extend to adult members of the community who are interested in learning welding as a trade. The school is on track for a similar program for nurse training (CNA) at the end of this month.

While Seminole High School has long had a welding program as an elective component of its Industrial Arts curricula, the new initiative will provide more advanced training on updated equipment, with the possibility of full certification as part of a dual credit program with Odessa College. The training will provide welding processes more in line with those in a real work environment.

In a letter to the James F. Lincoln Foundation, the charitable arm of Euclid, Ohio-based Lincoln Electric, former SEDC Executive Director Chris Jones made inquiries as to the possibility of the company providing welding machines for student use. Jones explained that Seminole is a prime industrial location situated at the northern end of the oil-rich Permian Basin, and the southern end of the largely agricultural South Plains. Jones cited a recent study by a regional workforce group that indicated a growing need for welders in the region over the next 12 years.

In response, the company forwarded the information to one of its regional offices in the Midland-Odessa area and sent two company representatives to look over the SHS facility. A suitable arrangement was chosen at the 2700 sq. ft. Seminole High School Industrial Arts facilities, and the company offered the donation of ten welding machines and a full ventilation system.

Last month, the Board voted to approve funds for the fabrication of 10 individual welding booths for student use. The booths are necessary to protect students from both eye damage from flash burns, and small debris that results from grinding metal.

“We’re trying to find the resources to bulk up our current technology program,” SISD Superintendent Gary Laramore told the Sentinel. “We want to help our kids who are preparing for the workforce, and preparing for life after high school.”

“Seminole is an incredible place, no matter what your kids are interested in, and it’s an incredible school district. We have so many offerings from an extracurricular standpoint,” Laramore continued.

“But we have another group of kids who, while they might love to be a part of that — theater, football, band, they can’t spend two-and-a-half hours a day practicing those things. They’ve got to get out of high school and get employed. Some of them need to help their parents. We’re trying to take care of that group of children also.”

Laramore agreed with SEDC Executive Director Chris Jones’ characterization of the welding program, as well as a nurse training curriculum that is also planned, as the “low hanging fruit — programs that could get off the ground faster with the least disruption in the near term. Having the existing facilities and the philanthropic help from Lincoln Electric, and additional help with equipment for the CNA program from the Seminole Memorial Hospital District, saved considerable time and expense.

“The reason for that is the funding aspect of it — everything we’re trying to do in technology education, we’re trying to accomplish without harming anything else we’re doing,” Laramore explained. “The SEDC has been great by helping us with the college partnership to help not only our children, but our adult community also. That’s where Chris has been so important, is the partnerships between the school, and the EDC, Anderson Welding — we meet with the County Judge once a month, to see what we can do to work together. We’re going to miss him greatly.”

“And I do want to add that the hospital district donated all of the equipment for the CNA classes.”

Stacie Laramore, the district’s Crew Technology Education Specialist (CTE), adds, “With this partnership, our high school teachers will be able to work with the professors at Odessa, whether it’s welding or CNA. They’ll help support our teachers with curriculum, and on the high school side, they’ll be able to help with the dual credit part.”

“For the (adult) community, It’s called Community Education, and they’ll also be able to help our community members get what they need to be employable. So they just work with us to make sure we’re on the right track. We’re looking at night classes for that. We don’t have a time frame yet, just because the equipment isn’t in place yet. As soon as it’s in place, we’ll start working with Odessa College on the welding side of it. ”

“With the CNA, we hope to start classes on January 29th,” Stacie Laramore adds. “We have about seven applications for the program from the Success Center, and about ten from the high school. I’ll have to narrow that down to ten through an interview process.”

With the school anticipating the arrival of new welding equipment, Anderson Welding of Seminole recently picked up much of the welding shop’s existing equipment and got it in good working order.

By offering dual credit courses, SHS is able to graduate students who have already been introduced to the skills needed to become employable. Additionally, it helps local students to have a greater chance of staying in the area, if they so choose, and if they’ve learned skills that can be applied locally.

“The beauty of what we’ve done here through our district innovation plan is, we don’t have to have certified teachers. We can have welders teaching welding, or even law enforcement offers teaching law. We did that to help our current technology program expand.” Gary Laramore said.

“We hear from our local employers, who tell us that most of the skills needed are learned on the job. We’re telling them to come on in to our school and teach them, and when they graduate, you don’t have to train them. They’re ready to go — and our local product stays here. And with the challenge of coming from somewhere else and finding a place to live here, well if they’re already here, that helps a ton. They live here. They like it here, so let’s get them into the workforce.”

“With the CNA classes, it’s a great start in the profession,” Laramore adds. “It allows students to go try it on the ground floor level. It may be a calling for them, and they can find out if that’s where they need to be.”

CNA Instructors must be at least an RN or LVN, and must have worked in a long term care facility for at least a year.

Laramore hopes to continue to expand upon the vocational training at SHS, including a return of the building trades that were once taught here, within the next few years. Local builders, Fehr’s Construction, has expressed an interest in participating in training, and even employing locally educated work crews after graduates complete the program.

“They had a great program — they even built several houses here,” Laramore said. “We want our kids to invest their time and efforts and energy into something that’s going to make a difference here in Seminole for a long time.”

Once thought to be strictly within the purview of national governments in the industrialized world, the concept of government-assisted economic development has, in modern times, become increasingly downsized to include not only mid-size to large cities across America, but even smaller communities like Seminole. In a competitive business environment, the creation of economic development entities throughout the country was inevitable.

Consider that sports arenas, once largely held by private investment groups, are now often partially or wholly owned by local governments, and the construction of a new stadium is, on average, 65-percent subsidized by taxpayers. Just since 1997, 19 new NFL stadiums have been built, all but two under such arrangements that include approximately $7 billion in taxpayer funding on the federal, state, and local levels.

To a small town, a new manufacturing facility is as crucial to the community as a sports complex in a large metropolitan area with an NFL franchise. The jobs created by a new fried chicken franchise or a shoe store are not inconsequential in a community with a population of 6,000-plus.

While some may lament the co-mingling of public and private funds, the benefits of this melding of municipal governments and business is clear and is, for the most part, quantifiable. Local taxpayers generally understand that, provided that all dealmaking is kept transparent and the benefits to the community are tangible.

The reality in the modern world is that those who manage a community’s purse strings and property have the leverage to provide the incentives to attract new businesses to an area, or to retain existing ones. Thus the competition between small communities can be much more intense than what meets the eye.

Incentives may include investment capital, low interest loans, tax incentives, donated land, utility rate discounts, and many others. Such incentives are based on a criteria which consists primarily of the number of new jobs created or retained, annual payroll, and the amount of capital investment.

The City of Seminole entered that arena in 2002 with a ballot initiative that created the Seminole Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), using a local half-cent sales tax to fund its operations. The Texas legislature’s Development Corporation Act of 1979 allowed municipalities broad latitude in determining how economic development would be defined.

With such latitude, under past Executive Directors, the SEDC has assisted in the acquisition of affordable housing and even secured a federal grant to conduct a feasibility study for the extension of a railway into Seminole.

In addition to the aforementioned incentives, the SEDC budget includes a facade program that provides up to $5,000 for improvements to downtown storefronts. Two $5,000 grants in 2017 helped to deliver $69,815 in capital investments in the downtown area, according to departing SEDC Executive Director Chris Jones.

“In a weak job market, the focus is on job creation and workforce development,” Jones explained to the Sentinel. “When your unemployment is down to 2-percent, you have to change the matrix a bit, more toward capital investment.”

Other relatively small “quality of life” budget items are intended to make the city more attractive to potential investors. Under this program, the SEDC made an investment in the City Park Splashpad to supplement a private grant, and a colorful new lighting system will enhance the downtown area, beginning in January. While the benefits remain more intangible, it is a type of “Dress for Success” approach to making a town more attractive for investment.

Among the SEDC’s most obvious successes is the Beall’s Department store on Avenue A, which provides an anchor for commerce in the downtown area. Beall’s retention in Seminole, and the subsequent expansion of Beall’s Shoes into the adjacent space, was the culmination of a complex array of incentives that included, among other things, roof repairs and donated property, including part of the parking area behind the store.

Likewise, Wingate by Wyndham brought an independently owned but nationally recognized brand to town with its presence in west Seminole. A deal was hammered out with its Midland owners that included a $750,000 grant, paid out over a five-year period, on the owners’ initial $4 million capital investment. The Wingate turns in periodic reports related to room occupancy.

According to Jones, however, the group’s biggest success is the JNL Steel Components business on the Hobbs Highway. Created with an initial capital investment of $1.2 million, the SEDC’s contribution was a five-year $100,000 loan at 3.25-percent interest. JNL’s agreement was based on 46 jobs created, which it surpassed in a short time.

In the last six years, a period of time during which the most accurate records could be had, the SEDC provided loan guarantees of $1,258,600 toward $10,558,000 in capital investments between 13 currently operating businesses in Seminole. According to Jones, 12 are in compliance with their original agreements, and efforts are under way to bring one into full compliance. Negotiations with the 13 businesses included guarantees of the creation of at least 134 new jobs.

Those businesses include, in addition to JNL and the Wingate, the recently negotiated Blossom Estates Vineyard, BYOP Pizza, Elite Sports Center, Tex-Star Windows, and the Workplace Testing Center, all of whom received short term low interest loans. Receiving a package that includes a combination of low interest loans and grants are Dickey’s Barbecue and the Kingdom Kids Academy.

Grants were issued to Mochachino’s Coffee Shop and Let’s Celebrate Bakery for facade improvements as part of the SEDC’s Downtown Revitalization program. Additional grants were provided to the new owners of properties at 216 and 218 South Main Street. The Seminole Dunes Apartments were built with an initial capital investment of $3.2 million, with a $60,000 pass-through loan from the SEDC, reimbursable through a federal grant for subsidized housing.

The Bush’s Chicken franchise arrangement involved the donation of city-owned land. Since land is a finite resource, contingencies are made that allow the city to place a lien on a parcel of land, and any improvements, if the recipient is not in compliance or defaults on its contract with the SEDC.

Currently in a holding pattern, awaiting the finalization of all details of their individual business plans are the Sunland Retirement Center, which will open with a $2 million capital investment and plans the creation of approximately 20 jobs, Border States, a lawn company specializing in commercial lots, which plans 15 jobs and a $250,000 capital investment, and a new installation planned by the Angelina Tank Company, which is on hold pending talks between its investors. Jones hopes that the Angelina Tanks project will represent an establishment of Gaines County’s first manufacturing facility in 20 years.

“Since most of this $1.2 million is in the form of loans, that’s money that we recoup, with interest” Jones told the Sentinel. “Only a small portion of that is the form of grants. And for a loan to become a grant, the company has to meet certain performance criteria. Since I got here, we’ve addressed the compliance issues and got everybody up-to-date on their contracts.”

Taking the position of Executive Director of the SEDC during the summer of 2016, Jones was a Seminole native who was recruited from his Defense Department post in Utah. Near the end of his first year at the SEDC, the 34-year-old Director released the centerpiece of his approach to the office, a five-year Strategic Plan from which most of his efforts would spring. His plan focused primarily on Gaines County’s Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing, and Medical industries.

The multiple facets of each would ultimately broaden the scope of his office’s functions considerably more than his predecessors. From the outset, Jones took a more hands-on approach to Seminole business. Regular visits to area businesses to acquire feedback became a staple of his office, with assistance from Workforce Coordinator Kristi Duncan.

Jones also redirected most of his office’s marketing efforts from magazine advertising to the digital realm, resulting in more than 130 new business contacts and requests for business packets since its institution last summer. The effort was supplemented by travel to two recent business conferences related to fabrication and business aviation.

“These are all people looking to expand or relocate their companies,” Jones explained. “We’re generating about four leads per week, and we mail packets to them.”Jones also established a Real Estate advisory committee to help facilitate the connection between new businesses and available property, and with the SEDC Board and the City council, introduced five separate loan programs aimed at the capitalization of new and existing businesses.

Under Jones’ advisement, the SEDC and the Seminole City Council got the Freeport Tax Exemption passed to help facilitate businesses who manufacture goods from components that are shipped in from elsewhere, then reshipped out of Seminole.

Along with performing the usual business recruitment and retention functions of his office, Jones also addressed a second component of the job creation aspect of that office, the training and availability of a competent local workforce.

In that vein, Jones has focused on the schools, establishing a relationship between his office and students and faculty participating in the SkillsUSA program. He has spoken to SHS students and distributed information concerning workforce retention.

Forming a formal partnership with Odessa College and the Seminole Independent School District, Jones laid the groundwork for a welding program at Seminole High School that will ultimately lead to full certification in a dual-credit arrangement with OC. Similar plans are in the works for a nurse training program.

“For now, we were going for the low-hanging fruit,” Jones told the Sentinel. “With what the school has in place now, these were the programs that would be easiest to get off the ground in a shorter period of time.”

The welding program at SHS will receive assistance from Lincoln Electric of Euclid, Ohio, which will donate at least six welding machines and exhaust equipment to replace the existing antiquated shop equipment. Representatives of the company recently toured the SHS facility and its 2700 sq. ft. space devoted to the Industrial Arts.

The relationship with Odessa College also facilitated a series of advisory sessions that provided office space for the Odessa-based Small Business Development Council (SBDC) to consult with local business people. A series of SEDC-sponsored “Eggs and Issues” breakfasts allowed local business leaders and office holders to address District 83 Representative Dustin Burrows and other elected officials. A Small Business Appreciation banquet last March was another part of the overall business outreach package.

For his efforts, Jones was recognized by the Texas Economic Development Council with a special Merit Achievement Award at the annual TEDC conference.Jones left his SEDC post at the end of December to take a similar position for the City of Andrews, but not before explaining his perceptions of some of the pitfalls of the office’s duties as they are currently configured.

“This office can only function as a normal EDC with greater autonomy,” Jones told the Sentinel. “The city has a responsibility of upholding the law and doing all these mandatory type things like code enforcement. But in order for us to sit in that sweet spot and advocate on behalf of businesses, and make the processes so seamless for businesses that they don’t even notice, we can’t be tied down to what people perceive to be difficult. That autonomy has to be there, from a budget perspective, and from a daily operations perspective.”

At its first meeting of 2018, the Seminole City Council, addressing a recent proposal by Mayor Wayne Mixon, will discuss whether to defund the SEDC office and place it on a ballot for public vote in May.

In an effort to further develop the available workforce within the Seminole and Gaines County, the Seminole Economic Development Corp. has reached a “memo of understanding” with Odessa College for the possible offering of specialized training and workforce development education training.

If minimal enrollment requirements are met, courses could be held in the Seminole community as early as January 2018, according to SEDC officials in an announcement issued last week.According to SEDC officials, the following college-level courses are being eyed for the Seminole community include: Introduction to General Office Skills, Workplace Communications, Keyboarding Skills, Introduction to Computers: Computer Applications I, Introduction to Customer Service, and E-mailing.

“All of the courses are designed for non-traditional students who are looking to improve their basic work skills through these potential offerings, said Chris Jones, Executive Director of the SEDC, who added SEDC and Odessa College officials had been in discussions on the proposed venture for “the last seven-to-eight months.”

“We’re hoping this partnership will help better develop our local workforce for our current businesses and those potentially looking to come to Seminole to develop,” said Jones. “As we prepare for changes, which comes as a result of an advanced dynamic economy, preparing and building our workforce by offering training is how we stay ahead.”

For more details related to the venture, contact the Seminole EDC offices at (432) 758-8803, by visiting the SEDC offices inside Seminole City Hall, 302 S. Main St., or by emailing SEDC Workforce Coordinator Kristi Duncan at kduncan@seminoleedc.org.

The Seminole Sentinel attempted to reach out to Odessa College officials in relation to the proposed venture, but had yet to hear from institution officials as of Monday afternoon.

With the exception of one actionable item, Monday’s scheduled meeting of the Seminole Economic Development Corporation Board of Trustees was more of a roundtable discussion of matters that are pending before the group. The lone exception, however, will influence, to some degree, how the city markets itself.

A two-year-old marketing relationship with the World Economic Development Alliance (WEDA), one that was forged by a previous SEDC Executive Director, is one that involves primarily e-mail marketing campaigns that are designed to connect communities with companies that are considering expansion or relocation. It is a system that, in current Director Chris Jones’ opinion, has been largely ineffectual for Seminole.

Jones recently unveiled a slightly different approach that has the same desired effect, but uses more advanced digital publishing technologies to match communities with company prospects. With the company’s guarantees of an amendment to its contract that will allow the SEDC greater access to data gathered, the Board approved a new relationship with the Irving office ofMultiview Marketing. The vote also effectively dissolved the relationship with WEDA.

Jones also gave the Board a rundown of planned Economic Development oriented trade shows and conferences thathe plans to attend, that he feels could have a potentially positive impact on Seminole Business prospects and fit in with the manufacturing elements of his recently developed Strategic Plan.

Those include an October 10-12 Business Aviation Conference in Las Vegas, with a focus on the manufacturing of airplane components, and the annual conference of the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) in Houston on October 18-20.

Other events on Jones’ schedule include the FABTech conference in Chicago on November 6-8. Jones’ target is the metal fabrication industry and the potential creation of welding “clusters”, or the development of a skilled pool of welders in the workforce. He will also attend the ICSC Texas Conference in Dallas on November 8-10. The purpose of the conference is to unite property owners, developers, retailers, real estate brokers, lenders, property asset managers and product/service providers with municipalities.

In his effort to forge a stronger business alliance with Gaines County government, Jones’ Executive Director’s report included Monday morning’sappearance before the Gaines County Commissioner’s Court. Jones hopes to build an alliance between County and City government and business interests in order to facilitate an economic development arrangement with Angelina Tank Company, which plans an expansion to Gaines County.

In her first Workforce Coordinator update, Kristi Duncan reported a recent visit to Odessa College, with whom the SEDC has established a workforce development relationship. Duncan also has plans to begin a series of visits to area businesses.

Board member Michel Powers conducted the meeting in the absence of Board President Kevin Petty.

With the exception of one actionable item, Monday’s scheduled meeting of the Seminole Economic Development Corporation Board of Trustees was more of a roundtable discussion of matters that are pending before the group. The lone exception, however, will influence, to some degree, how the city markets itself.

A two-year-old marketing relationship with the World Economic Development Alliance (WEDA), one that was forged by a previous SEDC Executive Director, is one that involves primarily e-mail marketing campaigns that are designed to connect communities with companies that are considering expansion or relocation. It is a system that, in current Director Chris Jones’ opinion, has been largely ineffectual for Seminole.

Jones recently unveiled a slightly different approach that has the same desired effect, but uses more advanced digital publishing technologies to match communities with company prospects. With the company’s guarantees of an amendment to its contract that will allow the SEDC greater access to data gathered, the Board approved a new relationship with the Irving office ofMultiview Marketing. The vote also effectively dissolved the relationship with WEDA.

Jones also gave the Board a rundown of planned Economic Development oriented trade shows and conferences thathe plans to attend, that he feels could have a potentially positive impact on Seminole Business prospects and fit in with the manufacturing elements of his recently developed Strategic Plan.

Those include an October 10-12 Business Aviation Conference in Las Vegas, with a focus on the manufacturing of airplane components, and the annual conference of the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) in Houston on October 18-20.

Other events on Jones’ schedule include the FABTech conference in Chicago on November 6-8. Jones’ target is the metal fabrication industry and the potential creation of welding “clusters”, or the development of a skilled pool of welders in the workforce. He will also attend the ICSC Texas Conference in Dallas on November 8-10. The purpose of the conference is to unite property owners, developers, retailers, real estate brokers, lenders, property asset managers and product/service providers with municipalities.

In his effort to forge a stronger business alliance with Gaines County government, Jones’ Executive Director’s report included Monday morning’sappearance before the Gaines County Commissioner’s Court. Jones hopes to build an alliance between County and City government and business interests in order to facilitate an economic development arrangement with Angelina Tank Company, which plans an expansion to Gaines County.

In her first Workforce Coordinator update, Kristi Duncan reported a recent visit to Odessa College, with whom the SEDC has established a workforce development relationship. Duncan also has plans to begin a series of visits to area businesses.

Board member Michel Powers conducted the meeting in the absence of Board President Kevin Petty.

The Seminole Economic Development Corp. and the City of Seminole will be a key feature of a presentation scheduled later this week in regard to economic development for communities.

A presentation, which according to a press release issued by an Austin-based firm participating as a presenter for a San Francisco-based planning company which has a reach of over 13,000 cities spread among 43 U.S. states.

According to the firm of Johnson & Associates, the SEDC and City of Seminole will be featured in the company’s upcoming Thursday webinar with GIS Planning, entitled “How to Engage Community Stakeholders.”

Woodall, who has over 23 years of economic development experience in communities in Texas and Arizona, worked with the SEDC, the City of Seminole and local business leaders in a May 2017 Sales Team Training session in Seminole.

“As I was preparing for this presentation, I looked back over the best examples of engaged and enthused community leadership and hands down, Seminole rose to the top of the list,” said Woodall in the press release obtained by the Seminole Sentinel. “After spending a day with the EDC Board, the City Council, Gaines County Judge Keyes, the SISD, the Chamber of Commerce and business community I left Seminole with a unique sense of shared vision and commitment to success. I contacted (SEDC Executive Director) Chris (Jones) and asked if he would be willing to provide me with a short video for use in the webinar and of course he was happy to do so.”

Jones, in a Thursday morning telephone interview with the Seminole Sentinel, said he was first taken back with the request to participate in the webinar, but quickly jumped on the opportunity.

“This is an international (webinar),” said Jones. “From a marketing standpoint, anytime you can get your name out there, it’s a huge deal. And, for us to be able to get Seminole’s name out there internationally to let folks know what’s going on here and the good things happening here and in West Texas, well that’s a good thing.”

The SEDC, under Jones’ term, is in the midst of the development and implementation of a strategic plan for the business retention and development municipality which is targeting four areas of industry for the Seminole community: Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing, and Medical. Those represent four areasthat either have had a strong foothold in Seminole and Gaines County for decades, or show signs of emerging growth, according to Jones.

According to Jones’ outline, the goal of the strategic plan is “to outline development efforts in Seminole for the next 3-5 years. With an economic development strategic plan, the City of Seminole can bring together it’s entire community to support a vision, goals, and strategies which allow Seminole to grow and thrive.

However, economic development is not the responsibility of one individual or board, but rather the responsibility of a committed community. This plan will provide a vision, guiding principles, and simple goals for economic development in the City of Seminole.”

In Thursday’s presentation, Woodall is anticipated to speak to four specific areas related to economic development, citing examples of implementations and projects she’s been involved with over the years. Additionally, Woodall will address the importance of the “elevator pitch” for economic developers and community leaders, explaining the critical elements you’ll want to include and offering an example. “You never know if you are going to make a deal on the golf course, at a Rotary Club meeting or walking through the grocery store, so it is important that all community leaders need to know what to say when the opportunity presents itself,” she says.

According to the press release, GIS Planning is the world leader in online economic development solutions. Over 13,000 U.S. cities in 43 states are served by GIS Planning’s Geographic Information System (GIS) Software, which provides real estate, demographic, and industry data to help businesses and site selection professionals select optimal geographic locations through powerful online mapping analysis. GIS Planning’s software as a service helps local communities grow their economies through business investment. Headquartered in San Francisco, GIS Planning has been included on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S. for the past five years.

Johnson & Associates is one of the most respected community and economic development consulting firms in the nation with over thirty years of experience in providing services to cities, economic development organizations and chambers of commerce. Based in Austin, J&A has offices in Galveston, Oxford, Miss. and Bartlett, Tenn. and has worked with hundreds of clients.

GIS Planning hosts a regular series of informational and educational webinars throughout the year that are available to economic and community developers as well as business leaders not only in the United States but around the globe. If you are interested in participating in this free webinar, you may visit the Johnson & Associates website www.jatoday.com and register.

Compared to the ancient winemaking traditions of Western Europe, or even those more contemporary and well established wineries of California’s Central Valley, Texas’ wine industry might be thought to be in its relative infancy. The fact is, Texas winemaking dates back to the 1650’s, to Franciscan priests who planted vineyards around what is now El Paso, more than 100 years before the first vines were planted on the West Coast.

While the actual acreage devoted to planted vineyards for the production of wine grapes in the Lone Star State, 3,500, is dwarfed by California’s 427,000 acres, the Texas High Plains includes an 8 million-acre stretch of sun-drenched land that makes up the second largest viticultural (grape-friendly) region of the world. Texas is home to over 36 members of the Vitis grape vine family, with 15 of those native to the state, more than any other region on earth. The soil and the sunny and semi-arid climate of the wine making regions in the state have drawn comparisons to those produced in Portugal.

With the initiatives of, and a sizable investment by, local businessman Henry Neufeld, along with an incentive package provided by the Seminole Economic Development Corporation, Texas newest boutique winery, Blossom Estate Vineyard, will have a home in Gaines County, with a nearly 37-acre plot of land ultimately dedicated to the production of grapes. 12 of those will yield this year’s crop of Sangiovese and Pinot Noir grapes, due to be harvested by hand later this month.

Later, Neufeld will offer a Sauvignon Blanc, produced from 7,500 of the white grape plants that were seeded last winter. By 2019, he plans to produce a Merlot from an additional 1,500 plants that produce the wine’s rich, almost black coloring.

Neufeld is a 22-year resident of Seminole since his immigration from Mexico. A native of Fresno, Calif., his wife Maria came to the area in 1977.

The Neufeld’s had long wanted to begin work on a vineyard, and after a purchase of land in 2014, that dream expanded into a desire to produce wine.

“This is really nothing new to this area. It started way before our time” Neufeld explains. “If you go to Brownfield, you can see some old vineyards. What happened — well I get stories — one of them is that a drought killed them off, and another says that it was pestilence. I was raised in cotton, but when grapes came back, it gave us this opportunity.”

The Neufelds’ goal for the near term is to produce pesticide-free grapes for organic wine, to label it and market it to retail stores, hotels, and restaurants within a small radius of Seminole, then expand from there. Primary regional competition will come from more established vintners at Lubbock’s Llano Estacado, Caprock, and Pheasant Ridge wineries. Because he will not be registered to sell retail, Neufeld eventually hopes to open a wine-tasting facility on property he owns on the Hobbs Highway after the production facility is approved by the state.

Neufeld also hopes to start a trend that will bring other grape producers in, along with jobs via the greater number of man hours per acre that the crop generates, as compared to cotton, peanuts, and other crops. Neufeld will have the capability to bottle wine for other brands as well. Those vineyards would provide the grapes.

According to Neufeld, the West Texas climate is favorable to an organic product because of the abundance of sunshine, and a drier climate helps to prevent certain types of fungi which can form inside of grape clusters, common in more humid environments. Grapes require considerably less irrigation than other crops common to the area, such as peanuts, and far less acreage to become profitable.

While SEDC Executive Director Chris Jones wears a number of hats in his position, and other efforts are in the works, the Blossom Estate agreement represents his first completed contract with a new business since taking the position.

“One reason I think this type of business has promise, is the state has put out a list of needed crops for the state, and on that list were the specific grapes that they grow,” Jones explained. “With a Young Farmer Grant, the Texas Department of Agriculture will partner with anyone growing a crop on that list.”

The Young Farmer program also assists members in the marketing of their products.

“And if you look at my Strategic Plan, we need to settle on a strong third crop rotation,” Jones added. “More importantly, we need to bring the markets here, instead of just shipping most of our stuff to larger markets.”

“And from a fiduciary perspective, I think the SEDC is being very responsible with the taxpayer’s money.”

With Neufeld’s initial capital investment of well over a half-million dollars and a commitment to hire from the local labor force whenever possible, his obligations to the SEDC include a commitment for at least five seasonal jobs, paying $9.00-$13.00 per hour. Jones expects the actual number of employees to exceed that minimum requirement, based on examples of similar operations in Brownfield. Currently, the Brownfield area accounts for up to 80-percent of the wine bottled in the state.

While it represents a small portion of Neufeld’s overall investment in company infrastructure and equipment, the SEDC will provide to Blossom Estate Vineyard, LLC, a three percent (3%) per annum loan in the amount of $30,000.00, covering a considerable portion of the company’s first-year operating costs. The loan is to be paid backwithin three years. The company will report the number of employees required by the agreement at the end of every quarter and agrees to provide adequate collateral and keep all locally imposed taxes up-to-date.

While California accounts for 90-percent of the wine consumed in the U.S., produced from more than 1,200 wineries, the number of small boutique wineries throughout the country continues to grow as demand increases. According to documentation provided by Neufeld, consumption of wine has increased from 2.01 gallons per person, per annum, in 2000, to 3.14 gallons per person in 2014. By 2016, U.S. wine sales were a $60 billion dollar industry.

In a meeting of the Board of Directors for the Seminole Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) in City Council chambers last week, SEDC Executive Director Chris Jones unveiled an initial draft of his strategic plan for the city. Subject to the approval of the SEDC Board of Directors, the plan, a roadmap of sorts, represents Jones’ vision of the business future of Seminole, capitalizing on its resources in a variety of areas, and the strengths of its current business climate.

Jones’ plan focuses primarily on four individual areas: Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing, and Medical. Those represent four areas that either have had a strong foothold in Seminole and Gaines County for decades, or show signs of emerging growth.

According to Jones’ outline, the goal of the strategic plan is “to outline development efforts in Seminole for the next 3-5 years. With an economic development strategic plan, the City of Seminole can bring together it’s entire community to support a vision, goals, and strategies which allow Seminole to grow and thrive. However, economic development is not the responsibility of one individual or board, but rather the responsibility of a committed community. This plan will provide a vision, guiding principles, and simple goals for economic development in the City of Seminole.”

The vision, simply stated, is to “work to promote economic development…by attracting new business and industry, while retaining, supporting, and expanding existing business. The continued effort will result in an expansion of the local tax base and ratepayers, keeping Seminole an affordable, vibrant place to live, work, and play.” Jones’ primary guiding principles advance that vision through “innovation, people-centered activity, and community engaging.

Working in concert with those three principles, Jones’ plan includes stimulating business by challenging existing businesses to expand customer bases by utilizing innovative marketing techniques, expanding “commerce territories” and controlling “leakage” (local dollars being exported to other markets) through “shop local” campaigns. To serve that customer base, much of Jones’ focus in recent months have focused on another goal, greater workforce retention through recruitment and training of skilled workers, primarily building on a local education base with an array of community colleges, technical colleges, and research institutions throughout the region.

As the local workforce becomes increasingly skilled, the intent is to meet yet another goal, the “retooling and cultivating of an environment for new business,” or to enhance that concept, to “redevelop our current workforce to take advantage of future opportunities, while developing a culture of entrepreneurship”.

The primary focus of those strategic goals would include the energy sector, where the region remains a mainstay in meeting the energy needs of the nation and the world. However, Jones’ plan points out that the support sector of the oil and gas industry has not fully met its potential as a local presence. The industry “depends heavily on Texas Tech and Odessa College to produce the needed skill sets”, and there exists a lack of mentorship and career transition into such skills as welding, mechanical engineering, and chemical engineering.

The energy-based aspects of Jones’ draft include possibilities in wind energy and biodiesel. The plan also notes that Xcel Energy currently has a pending application to build a gasoline plant in Gaines County, currently under review by the Public Utility Commission. Other options include advanced photovoltaics technology, a more adaptable and less intrusive alternative to solar panels.

The specifics of Jones’ roadmap toward pursuing such ambitious goals would include continued development of the proposed Seminole Business Park, with an emphasis on the relocation of energy-related businesses from the Houston market, and the main players in an emerging photovoltaic market. Other suggestions are to identify landowners open to providing land for wind farms, and working with an area gin to acquire a biodiesel plant, with possible expansion into ethanol. Jones’ draft cites successful biodiesel ventures in Eastern Europe, where the process has been more economically feasible.

Jones’ plan hopes to capitalize, to a greater degree, on a cooperative effort in workforce dynamics that is already under way with the city’s new partnership with Odessa College. To increase mentorship, the plan suggests the creation of a local chapter of SCORE, which would tap into knowledge gained by retired executives in the oil and gas industry.

In agriculture, the plan articulates the need for greater vigilance in identifying and addressing the volatility of agricultural markets, often subject to shifting priorities in federal farm policy, and the manipulation of markets by investors and day traders. The plan’s efforts would include defining a “sustainable third crop rotation.” It calls for the SEDC to work with the Department of Agriculture to try “to bring innovative, drought resistant ideas to Gaines County, which reinvest nutrients into the soil”, while providing an additional, profitable commodity.

Possible strategies would include the development of a working group of farmers and agricultural specialists, developing stronger ties with the Department of Agriculture, and advancing the idea of creating a local peanut pasting plant and a cotton spinning mill.

In the area of manufacturing, Jones’ draft notes that “Seminole is hone to a strong fabrication workforce”, and that manufacturing in Seminole must be a reflection of these diverse talents. The SEDC’s aim would be to seek out manufacturing companies that produce components relative to the agricultural and oil and gas industries, as well as medical device technology.

Strategies that might be in place to support such goals might be to identify and recruit the top producers of automated technology in the oil and gas industry, as well as the producers of automated farm equipment and medical devices. Jones feels that a market might be created for the refurbishment of wind turbines, and that a strong workforce, skilled in fabrication, might be utilized by defense contractors.

Noting that Texas is a national leader in cancer research, Jones’ draft suggests that opportunities might be available in a small town environment, both in research and treatment. He notes the considerable endowments at the University of Texas and Texas Tech which are targeted toward cancer research. The plan encourages relationships with the two universities’ Health Sciences Centers, as well as seeking out companies engaged in cancer research, and identifying federal grants that are awarded to public-private research partnerships.

Additionally, Jones’ plan would work with the local Hospital Board to help identify the needs for a conventional treatment facility, identify local providers who might be able to provide supportive therapies, and to find ways to provide Business Park facilities in support of these goals.

With their drafts of Jones’ Strategic Plan in hand, some members of the SEDC Board of Directors suggested that the plan might benefit from a series of public roundtables that would allow area residents and business and community leaders to weigh in on the plan’s vision.

In a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors for the Seminole Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Monday night at City Hall, the Board unanimously approved a package of loan agreements designed to address a variety of small business finance issues. The adoption of the new measures followed a second public hearing that the Board offered. No one from the public addressed the Board.

Among the four new measures that were adopted, the Seminole Expansion and Development Loan Guarantee Incentive Program, according to a summary laid out by SEDC Executive Director Chris Jones, “seeks to provide loan guarantees of up to 50% of a loan amount not to exceed $100,000, providing the applicant has established creditworthiness with a local lending institution. The applicant, at the recommendation of the lending institution, would apply for this guarantee using the established SEDC incentive process.”

Businesses that are eligible for consideration must reside within the 79360 zip code. Those located outside the city limits must establish, in written form, their benefit to the community by way of job creation and/or expansion in property/sales tax collection.

An applicant may be deemed ineligible if he or she has operated a prior business that has caused the government of any local government entity to have incurred a loss related to a prior business debt. “Ownership” includes those holding at least a 20% stake in a business. An applicant with a prior criminal history may also be ruled out.

The business would also be subject to a minimum equity requirement of 15% to 20%. Special considerations may be given to some businesses such as some franchises, certain recreational facilities, or privately owned medical facilities.

Those same requirements apply to the other three other adopted programs, including the Seminole Business Retention Microloan Incentive Program, which “seeks to provide Microloans to established businesses which may experience temporary interruptions in revenue generation which necessitate relief in the form of a short-term loan. These loans are not to exceed $10,000 per business and shall be amortized at a 3% minimum over a period not to exceed three years. Additionally, all applicants must submit an incentive application, which will be approved or denied by the board of directors.”

Microloans can be used for working capital, inventory or supplies, furniture or fixtures, and machinery or equipment. Proceeds from a microloan can be used to pay existing debts only with special approval from the SEDC Board.

The Seminole New Business Interest Loan Rebate Incentive Program is “designed to recruit new businesses by providing a rebate on interest paid for loans related to creation of location of a new business to the City of Seminole. The purpose of this program is to incentivize those businesses which, by securing a loan with a local private lender, have demonstrated a commitment to bringing jobs to Seminole. This is a performance based incentive, requiring the applicant to deliver on their promise of jobs to the community before receiving payment from the SEDC”.

The SEDC Board will evaluate each application based on certain job criteria: number of jobs, wages, number of new jobs for which local residents may apply, and the possible impact of related industry jobs. The length of this rebate shall not exceed two years and $25,000 per year for one applicant. The total earmark within the incentive line item of the SEDC budget is not to exceed $100,000.

The Seminole New Business Low-Interest Loan Incentive Program “provides businesses with financial assistance to support the creation of jobs for the City of Seminole. This program provides long-term, fixed-rate financing at interest rates lower than conventional financing, at a minimum interest rate of 3%. The fund is intended to fill a financing gap beyond the amount of private participation and equity investment that can be raised. Loans can be written from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $250,000, up to 50% of the total project cost.”

Under this program, businesses are required to create one new full-time and permanent job for every $35,000 loaned within three years of loan closing. Businesses must provide a minimum of 10% equity. The business owner must provide a personal guarantee for the loan amount. Terms are for up to seven years on equipment and up to ten years on land and buildings. Loans may not be used to refinance debt, purchase inventory, or pay other non-capital costs or on speculative projects.Those interested in these loans should contact the SEDC for additional terms and conditions.

Also during Monday’s meeting, Jones led a discussion with the Board concerning the implementation of Multi-view Marketing, according to Jones, a new more measurable way of tracking the effects of online advertising. Using more comprehensive computer analytics, a Multi-vew company team is able to provide information on what companies have visited the SEDC website, for evaluation and possible follow-up.

While no vote was taken on the Multi-view plan, Jones recommended it’s adoption by the Board. Jones told the Board, “this program is aligned with our vision and purpose”.

Jones also unveiled a strategic plan for the city, with a primary focus on four individual areas: Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing, and Medical. Those will be detailed in the next issue of the Seminole Sentinel.

In his earlier Executive Director’s Report, Jones told the Board that plans for a new Business Park have advanced from the surveying phase into a design phase. He has inquired of engineers as to whether a road to the facility can be built by the end of July. Jones also reported that the SEDC website has been moved to a new address, and efforts are underway to upgrade the site to make it more user-friendly for regular site updates.